The Limp
by Nellie Elwood
Summary: The story of the week Newt got his limp, not exactly in chronological order, the story follows him, Minho, Alby, and to a lesser extent, Thomas as the events unfold leading up to Newt's most defining moment as a character in the series.


Alby knew something was wrong as soon as he saw Newt. His friend was in a heap on the floor of the maze, and he wasn't moving.

"Minho he's here!" Alby shouted as he rushed over to the unconscious Newt. "Come on, Brother." Alby said, with Newt's face in his hands. "Wake up, Newt, I swear to god." Alby's voice cracked as he rolled Newt from his side to his back.

His leg was twisted hideously, and when Alby lifted Newt's shirt he could see that a few of his ribs on his left side were seriously out of place. Newt's left wrist was swollen and blackening, and his face looked badly scraped.

"Brother, you better not have broken your head." said Alby as he searched Newt's scalp for bumps or cuts. And then it hit him. Alby realized what had happened and he was just so _angry_.

"You absolute pile of klunk, you jumped, didn't you?" He said, his voice rising in both volume and hysteria as he spoke. "You, shuck-face! Why the hell would you do this?" Alby was screaming now, and he was shaking Newt by the front of his shirt.

Minho rounded the corner, horrified. He knew what had happened as soon as he saw Newt's leg.

"Back off, Alby. That won't help him, now." Said Minho running over to Newt. He put his ear to Newt's chest and, hearing a slow weak drum of life, said "We need to get him to the med-jacks, now Alby." in a tone of sheer urgency. "You take his top-half, and I'll get his legs. We've only got ten minutes and we've got a mile and half to run, so get your klunk-ass moving."

With tears coating his face Alby grabbed Newt under his armpits, and lifted. Minho held Newt's ankles at his sides as he ran forward, glad that Alby couldn't see that his own face, was now crumpled in a attempt to keep it together for all three of them.

At some point Newt regained just enough sense to know he was in pain. He gave a pained moan, and Alby could see his eyes open, just barely.

Minho and Alby ran faster and harder than they thought they could, carrying Newt. Just a corner away they heard the doors begin to close, and Minho sped up, forcing Alby with him. Alby squeezed through the door last, and as his did he felt it scrape the back of his heel.

Alby and Minho collapsed from exertion, leaving Newt to fall limply to the ground. He let out another pained moan. Someone shouted

"Get the med-jacks over here!" And Minho said

"Someone get some water into Alby," as he stood up and whispered to Clint, one of the med-jacks what had happened. Clint and his partner took Newt away on a stretcher the gladers had made ages ago, but had never used for anyone but people who'd been stung. Minho followed close behind, and when Alby could stand again he followed them off to the homestead.

Minho watched the med-jacks work,

"Let me know anything you can tell" Minho said as the two of them shuffled about, taking Newt's vitals, and getting good looks at his injuries. Soon enough Clint said,

"Well he won't be a runner again. That's for sure." Minho could see why as the med-jacks considered ways to set his mangled leg.

"Things are about to get messy. He'll need someone to hold on to. This will hurt like nothing he's felt before."

Minho moved over to Newt and grabbed his friend's hand. Alby burst into the room, and Minho secretly thanked god saying,

"Here, you should be there for him" to Alby. Alby pulled a chair up to Newt's bed, and replaced Minho, who was out of the door before anyone noticed. He rushed out the back door of the homestead and vomited until he was just dry heaving. His breath came quick and hard, and He finally let himself cry. A beetle blade glinted in the moonlight,

"Do you see what you've done"Minho asked with the desperation evident in his voice. "we're not just killing each other now. We're killing ourselves. You must have limits, right? Isn't this past that?"

Somewhere far above him Thomas cringed at the brutal honesty of Minho's plea.


End file.
